The present invention relates generally to the field of cardiology, and more particularly to the field of heart failure. In this regard, the invention provides devices and methods that are useful in the treatment of congestive heart failure.
Heart failure is a condition which significantly affects millions of people throughout the world. Heart failure is the inability of the heart to pump blood at an adequate rate. Such a condition can result in, among others, congestion in the tissues, shortness and wheezing of breath, pitting edema, and an enlarged and tender liver. If not successfully treated, heart failure can be fatal.
For this reason, attempts to reduce or eliminate the symptoms of heart failure have been widespread. Some common methods for treating heart failure include drug therapies with diuretic agents, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and digitalis. One particular method which has been found to be somewhat effective in reducing the symptoms of heart failure is to supply nitroglycerin to the heart. Supplemental oxygen has shown to be highly effective in severe heart failure. Such a treatment has shown to decrease right atrial, right ventricular, left atrial, and left ventricular pressures, especially during diastole, resulting in a greater aorta-left ventricular and diastolic gradient which in turn enhances overall myocardial perfusion.
Although the introduction of nitroglycerin into the heart has shown in some cases to be effective in reducing the symptoms of heart failure, such a treatment in many cases has limited effectiveness. For example, the administration of nitroglycerin usually requires physician supervision and can lead to a number of side effects including propound hypotension.
Hence, for these and other reasons it would be desirable to provide a way to decrease or eliminate the signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure which would be conducive with the normal lifestyle of a patient. Such a treatment should be both easy and convenient to use, be relatively inexpensive, and require little or no physician supervision.